


How could you possibly know?

by Rjbower17



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-10-19 08:53:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10636512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rjbower17/pseuds/Rjbower17
Summary: Trini's had enough of her parents. The rangers try to help. Kim reveals a long kept secret.





	1. Chapter 1

Everything has been good for a while. Things have been pretty calm since defeating Rita other than trying to rebuild the city. Over the last month the gang has grown closer, spending as much time as possible together.

Jason’s father is more trusting these days. Billy’s mother is finally getting passed the destruction of the van. Zack’s mom is feeling a little stronger everyday and Kim's parents have become more understanding. Trini’s parents on the other hand, aren't exactly what you'd describe as stellar.

  
Trina usually ignores the mess, jumping out her bedroom window at dawn to avoid the screaming, the taunting. She goes to the mountain each morning where she savors the silence until Zack joins her and eventually the others not long after.

  
She plans on being here all day, not wanting to face the mandatory Saturday drug test this week. Of course she passes every one clean. Of course her mother keeps making her take them. And it's not like it's all bad. Trini knows a part of her mother just wants her daughter to be safe, especially after the incident with “the weird gold giant with wings” and “the alien rainbow soldiers” that no had an answer to. (“Mom, how can they be rainbow soldiers, there isn't an orange or green one, and black and pink aren't part of the rainbow.” Trini tries not to hit herself when she realizes how gay she is for getting so defensive about the rainbow).

  
Training is always intense, but today things have been a little off. Trini’s parents have been getting to her lately even with the extra effort put in to ignore them. And even with the relatively short amount of time the rangers have known each other, walls have been broken down and it's not very hard for the four to read the yellow ranger’s anger and frustration through every brutal punch and kick.

  
She's been sparing with Jason for all of two minutes before he calls for a time out, out of breath and with bruising forming from her eager blows.

  
The added passion allows Trini to take down several Putties before the others can even get close to one.

  
Zack, Kimberly, Jason, and Billy share knowing glances, filled with fear and sympathy for their friend. They know Trini doesn't like confrontation so they don't say anything at first. That changes as Trini decides it's a good idea to strike the rock wall with her bare fist. Kim whimpers at the sound of Trini reaching her break point. Trini turns around in an instant sinking down to the ground with her back against the wall, clutching her raw mutilated hand with the other.

  
“Trini”, Kimberly calls out timidly, scared that the other girl will try to hurt herself again. Kim approaches her clasping her hand trying to look at the damage. Trini doesn't allow it, pulls her hand away abruptly before getting off the floor to walk away. The boys have gathered around them by now. Jason pipes up before Kim can, still too taken aback by Trini pulling away from her. “Trini, were your friends, were just trying to help, we're a team, but we can't fix anything if you don't talk to us.” Trini stops walking at his words, but doesn't turn around. Kim takes the opportunity to continue from where Jason left off. “We're all here for you, T. I know it's hard, I totally get it, but please don't shut us out.”

  
A whirlwind comes from this, one none of them except. Trini snaps like never before.  
“Oh yeah, Kimberly”, she raised her voice as the girl cowers slightly, “how would you know what it's like for your parents to hate you for something you didn't ask for? Something you can't change? How would you understand that I'm treated like I'm sick? like they can send me away to some camp to fix me? Huh? Please tell me because I would love to know.”  
Only silence follows. The pink ranger doesn't have an answer.

  
“That's what I thought.” Trini is out of sight, through the water portal and back on land before anyone can move. Zack goes to follow her, but Kimberly stops him.  
“I'll go”

  
When Kimberly is through to the mountain again, she expects to have to look for Trini. To chase her down like she had the first day they'd all found each other, but she doesn't. She's standing there, clenching and unclenching her fists, facing away from her looking at the sky. It's still bright out which makes it a little hard to see. Turning Trini into a breathtaking silhouette. She can still make out the the water droplets on her neck, in her hair, wills herself to stop heaving, to approach the girl.

  
When she steps next to her, she wonders why Trini doesn't run while she has the chance. The thought that Trini is so overwhelmed with pain that's she's given up on fighting back makes Kim's heart sink.

  
“Can we walk?” She asks without meeting the shorter girl’s eyes.

  
She takes her lack of answer as a yes and start her dissent to the left, Trini grumbling close behind.

  
After a few minutes of quiet, Kimberly breaks up the sound of their feet crunching against rock and sand with her voice.

  
“I didn't mean to make it seem like I knew exactly what you're going through..I just wanted you to feel less alone. I just...I get some of it, okay?”

  
Trini stops, prompting Kim to face her. “What do you mean?” She squeaks out, unimposing, voice still a little raw from yelling. Kim is looking down, avoiding her eyes, arms in front of her, pulling at her own fingers, looking so small. Trini would think she looked cute in this moment if she didn't look so scared, so broken.

  
“I'm bisexual” she huffs out, tears running down her cheeks, “and no one knows because I'm afraid it'll ruin everything, no one knows because it's one more thing on the list of things that make me wrong and different and unable to love.”

  
A pause. A pause until Trini is hugging her, full force, no hesitation. “There is nothing wrong with you Kim. And I'm sorry for jumping down your throat back there, I was just really shaken up”.

  
Kimberly stands still until a confused and sassy “is the yellow ranger actually hugging me?”

  
Trini scoffs, still holding her close.  
“Yes, she is, but don't get used to it.”  
But Kimberly wants to get used it, wants the comfort of her warmth at all times of the day.

  
\------

  
It's less than 20 minutes later when Zack, Jason, and Billy rise from the water. They had figured they'd waited long enough to not witness an all out brawl between pink and yellow.

  
They're about to start heading home when Billy points out Kim and Trini a few hills away, sat on a rock, a few hills away from them. Kim's head rested on Trini’s shoulder, her arm tucked around her, hand resting on her hip. Watching the sunset.

  
Billy claps his hands in excitement at the sight, glad to see his friends are okay again.  
“Oh, young love”, Zack jokes. Jason pushes him with one arm playfully, an act of revenge for his bad joke.

  
Zack takes his arm in his hands, reaching towards Jason's shoulders and effectively puts the red ranger in a headlock.

  
Billy looks from Kim and Trini to Zack and Jason lovingly and sighs content. “Ah, friendship."


	2. Cliff jumping and mermaids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim tries to tell the gang.

  
Sundays are the gangs lazy days. They don't train but they still come up to the mountains, walk around, test out their powers to different degrees, talk, hang out.

The boys figure that Trini is okay now after yesterday's episode. She seems a lot calmer and 10 minutes into their hike she makes a point in apologizing for exploding when they were clearly just trying to help.

Zack keeps an eye on crazy girl, hopes she knows how much they all care. He notices the way Kim and Trini exchange thrilled glances as if they know some secret that no one else ever could. It seems alright for now so he doesn't question it. He saves any deep interrogations for when the sun is barely up and he and Trini are the only ones out here.

They reach a cliff, much like the one they'd jumped across while chasing after Trini when they'd first met. Jason is getting ready to jump across when Trini stops him.

“Wait”, she offers lightly, taking hold of Kimberly’s shoulders and making her face toward Billy, Jason, and Zack. “Our friend Kimberly here, has something she wants to tell you”.

The pink ranger huffs, shooting daggers at Trini with her eyes. Trini raises her hands in defense, “you're the one who wanted to tell them”.

Taking a deep breath, Kim tries to relax. “I…” she starts to confess.

Instead of continuing to speak, the pink ranger flings herself down the cliff to get away from the confrontation. Just as she loses contact with the ground below her and becomes completely suspended in air, she feels a hand in hers, followed by a harsh pain in her shoulder.

“Jesus, T, you could've ripped my arm off”, Kimberly whines once she's safely back on the cliff with the others.

“Calm your pits, kitten, it probably would've grown back”, Trini suggests smugly, referring to their new healing abilities, brushing off the dirt gathered on the taller girl’s t-shirt.

“Can we test it out?” Zack peeps up, getting way too excited about experimentally chopping off Kimberly's arm for “science” of course.

“No”, Kim exclaims, death glaring at the oh so goofy black ranger, who just laughs in return. Billy and Jason still patiently waiting for Kim to tell them what she wants to.

“Just tell us, we'll still love you no matter what”, Jason tries to reassure her.

And she's about to chicken out again. About to throw herself down the cliff once more when Trini isn't looking, but she see Billy's face. Sees how worried he looks.

Billy's thinking worst case scenario at this point. Like Kim's pregnant or moving away. And he can't have that. Not when he finally has friends who don't treat him differently, who actually care. Not to mention that all 5 rangers are crucial to saving the world. So Kim will spill her guts if it means getting happy Billy back.

“I'm bi, goodbye”, she says with finality, jumping off the cliff cleanly this time. Billy is sighing with relief, Jason smiling, Zack yelling down the cliff toward her, “WE STILL LOVE YOU, KIMMY”

Kim smiles as she hits the ground, a weight lifted from her shoulders.

“I should probably go make sure she's okay”, And Trini's following the pink ranger before the boys can interfere.

When she gets to the bottom of the cliff, Kim is nowhere to be found. She whips out her phone sending the girl a text. She hears a vibration from a few feet away, below her. With a closer look she notices a pair of sneakers next to a lake, no doubt Kimberly's, gray with pink socks stuffed inside as well as a cell phone.

Before Trini can decide on her next course of action, she sees Kim's form start to come out of the water. It shouldn't be difficult to watch the simple act of a friend emerging out of water, but Kim looks like a mermaid, enchanting and shining in the morning sun. Trini tries to act natural, but trying can only go so far when Kim is smiling at her like everything is good in the world. Like they didn't just save the world from certain death less than a month ago.

“You okay?” Trini croaks out amongst her gay panic.

“Yeah”, she's out of the water now, up in Trini's face, “just needed a second to cool off”, she continues, handing Trini her phone to hold as she puts her shoes on.

Trini waits for her, texting into their group chat: Kim's ok, we'll catch up with you guys in a few

\-----

It's getting dark now, they're walking home from Krispy Kreme as the sun goes down. Kim and Billy in front chatting randomly, Trini and Zack pushing and tripping each other behind them, and Jason in the back, ever the fatherly type, watching over them.

Trini is a step away from pushing Zack to the ground when Billy asks a question, willing them both to stop goofing around.

“So Kim, are you biromantic or bisexual? Do you think you'd ever date someone who is transgender?” Kim doesn't mind the question, knows that Billy likes to gather data, likes clear cut conclusions.

“Bisexual. And I don't know I guess I'd be open to it. I like girls and guys, but I think their gender still plays a role in how I feel about them. Like I don't know if this’ll make sense but liking a boy feels a lot different than liking a girl. I just think bi is the best label for me right now”, Kim gushes, just getting used to feeling comfortable with letting out all the thoughts that had previously made her feel insane.

Billy nods at her, like he got the answer he wanted. Trini claps a firm hand on her back in encouragement, in support, because it gives her an excuse to touch her. Holding her against her as they walk, not letting go until it's time to turn separate ways. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How you enjoyed. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zack and Jason try to help.

Jason might be the leader, but he likes to think they're more than a team. They're a family. And if anyone is designating family members he thinks that he's the single father, Kim and Billy are his kids, and Kim and Trini are married and Zach is their son….he really _hasn't_ put much thought into it.

As father, he thinks maybe it would be a good idea to meddle (just a little) in his daughters love life. That couldn't hurt, right? Kim obviously likes Trini and they have been getting closer. He just wants to see his friends happy (and maybe make his family fantasy a bit more real).

He wants to be casual with his meddling so he waits until the week after Kimberly comes out to them (he suspected that she was somewhere on the rainbow spectrum). They're walking home together as usual, Kimberly and Jason the last ones left as they live the closest to each other.

And Jason tries to seem casual, he really does, but he can't really think of any way to do this without it being awkward so he just goes for it.

“Do you like me, K?”

“What? Of course I like you”

“No...I mean do you like me as more than a friend?”

“Um”, she gets shy now, “no, I like you like a brother, Jason. Why? Do you like me?”

“Nope”, he smiles at her clearly. She laughs at him.

“Then why even ask?” She squints at him, trying to decipher the intentions of her friend.

“Well, if you don't like me, that leaves room for you to like someone else. Someone we both know”, he offers raising his eyebrows suggestively and nudging her with his elbow. “I don't know what your talking about”, she croaks, hiding her face in defense.

“I mean you obviously have a crush on Billy.”

And Kimberly looks terrified and relieved all at once. Terrified because Billy is her baby boy. Relieved because at least he doesn't know about who she actually has a crush on.

“I don't like Billy like that, Jason.”

He laughs at her, unable to keep up his charade. “I know. But Trini on the other hand.. OW.”

She punches him. Hard. In the shoulder. And starts to walk ahead of him, turning into the drive way of her house, leaving him on the sidewalk.

“I’ll take that as a yes”, he says, hand still holding his shoulder.

She turns around only to flip him off before slipping inside the house.

Leaving Jason smiling outside.

\-----

  
Zack’s a complicated dude. Just as silly as introspective. Spending half of his time fooling around, teasing, the other half watching, thinking. He's quite observant, at least of the people he cares about. And boy does he care about Trini.

They're sitting on a rock when the sun hasn't made its full journey into the sky just yet. Honestly, he just wants to make sure she's okay, that she doesn't bottle up feelings that Zack is pretty sure the pink ranger returns.

And he's going to start the conversation up, but surprisingly Trini beats him to it. “Have you ever liked someone so much that it scares you?”

And it's unexpected. So much so that Zack kind of contemplates it for the first time. “No”, he answers honestly.

“Have you ever had a crush at all?”

“I mean I guess so. They weren't big things, I didn't really like any of them though, I just wanted to be friends. Boys and girls."

“Are you aro?” Trini questions as if all people are as educated about the lgbtq+ community as she is.

“What's AIR-O?” He's careful with the new word in his mouth.

“Aromatic. Someone who doesn't feel romantic attraction”. She gifts to him like some mighty scientist.

“I don't know, I've never really thought about it. Maybe I am...is it bad that I'm not sure?” He waits for criticism.

“Not at all”, she reassures, “everyone is different, so people know their orientation right away, some people puzzle it out for years, some don't label themselves at all. It's your choice, any is fine.”

He stares at her. “Ya know, now that you're not all grumbly and evasive, it's nice to hear you speak about stuff you're passionate about.”

Trini can't help but blush. She often forgets that all her concrete walls were up not too long ago.

“But what were you talking about before? You like someone?” Zack interrogates.

“Stop playing coy, asshole.”

“And just like that, the old Trini is back.”

She grumbles. “Well, what girls do I talk to?”

“I know. I know. I was joking. Jesus.”

“What do I do, Z? I like her alot. She's just unattainable”.  
She huffs, sighing inwardly.

“How is she unattainable?”

“She's gorgeous, popular, most likely in love with Jason.” She blurts out in one breath. “Wow, you've thought about that a lot haven't you?”

And Zack kind of expects some type of revenge, whether physical or verbal, but Trini has her eyes fixed downwards, like a resigned answer of ‘yes, Zack. I have thought about it a lot’.

“Aren't gay people supposed to be good at reading other people's gayness? Kim's totally into you.”

“And how would you know that?” She demands.

“I watch you guys sometimes. She just looks at you different, and not just cuz she's looking down instead of up.” Zack pokes fun at the yellow rangers lack of height.

“It's pretty obvious that you're special to her, at least to some degree. So maybe you do have a chance.” He shrugs trying to sound somewhat hopeful.

\-----

Biology is kind of boring for Kimberly other than having Trini there. It's not the best case scenario with the yellow ranger sat all the way in the back and the pink ranger sat close to the front. Every time she feels like she's about to doze off, or like she'll never understand the lesson, or at anytime at all really, she feels Trini’s shiny brown eyes on the back of her head. A constant reassurance.

And she'll look back. Smiles at her. And Trini used to look away like she'd been caught red handed (yellow handed???), but they're friends now and Trini feels okay about her crime of starring.

And Kimberly doesn't seem to mind so she doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. Instead of focusing on the function of mitochondria they're thinking about spilling their guts to the other. Hoping to god, or Zordon, or whatever supreme being exists that the other doesn't run like hell.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 1000 hits and almost 100 kudos in 2 days. Thx guys. It's so cool that you'd even read it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trini's family

Trini doesn't hate her mother. Really. If anything her mother’s just overbearing. And close minded. And super into embarrassing her daughter. But she doesn't hate her. She's sure of that. But boy does her mom love to test that fact.

Because Trini's home for dinner on a random Thursday that all the rangers happen to be busy and her mom just has to ask. “So Trini, where are you usually while we're eating every night?” She starts as she's looking down, cutting into her food, her tone mock light hearted.

“With my friends”, Trini claims nonchalantly, not realizing the can of worms she opens with it. “Friends?”, her mother asks, dropping her previous inflection, adopting one of curiosity, “what kind of friends?”

You see, Trini's mom thinks that her daughter is hanging out with drug dealers and prostitutes (yes, even after the 8 drug free urine tests Trini has been subject to). Trini knows her mom probably thinks the worst.

“They're good people, mom. From school.” She indicates hoping her mom wipes the thought of Trini sitting on street corner and shooting up heroin out of her head. And Trini knows that her mother’s specialty is dragging things as far as they can possibly go, but she's really hoping that she drops it just this once.

But of course she doesn't. “You should have them over some time for dinner. So we can see who you're leaving us for every night”. And her tone crosses a line that it hadn't before. Like she's the victim of betrayal. Not Trini.

And the yellow ranger is very good at pegging her mother’s emotions so she tries to stay calm, keep the situation from escalating. “I don't think that's a very good ide-”

“Why? Because you don't want to embarrass yourself with your terrible terrible family?”

And everyone is silent. The sound of forks sliding across plates, the hushed breaths of her brothers halted. And Trini's stuck looking into her mother's accusatory eyes.

“Fine. I'll invite one of them over if it'll make you happy”, she says. ‘If it'll get you off my back’, she thinks. And she's up out of her chair and heading to her room, appetite suddenly gone.

She tries to make the thoughts disappear with a pair of headphones, but intrusive thoughts are usually the type determined to ruin your night. She’s half asleep, lucid dreaming about short brown hair and brown skin and soft hands when her door creaks open and two small heads peek through.

Her brothers look hurt, like kicked puppies on an unlucky day and Trini is awake and in protective mode just from the sight of their worried eyes and arms hugged around themselves. “You guys okay?” She asks as they walk closer.

One says “no”, the other shakes his head. Trini is hugging them in an instant, careful not to crush them with the force of her powers, but strong enough to assure them of her love.

Their breaking away too soon, and he's asking “Is it true what mommy said? That you think we're terrible?”

Trini's crushed, completely devastated and maybe she's taking back what she said earlier because maybe she does hate her mom a little bit. Because the two people she loves without question are hurt from something she said, something that had nothing to do with her darling brothers, something that was the farthest from true.

She wants to explain the backhanded compliments, the forced guilt, the twisted words, the emotional abuse all because of her affinity for women. But they're so young, so pure, she settles for “You guys aren't terrible, you're the best things that ever happened to me”.

‘Except for maybe becoming a power ranger’ she thinks.

“Then why would mama say that?” The other one is asking. “It's hard to explain”, Trini attempts it anyway, “Mama doesn't like certain things about me, and we disagree because of it, she’s upset so she tries to find ways to fix it.”

“What doesn't she like?” Trini knows they're just curious, so she gathers what's left of her energy to get this out.  
“I like girls the way that I'm supposed to like boys.” She looking at her lap, contemplating her sweaty palms.

They're silent for a moment until “oh, that's all?”, one says as the other laughs, like this is the smallest thing in the world, “why would mommy not like you for that?”

Trini smiles hugging them again.

\-----

The next morning Trini wakes up without hitting snooze on her alarm clock (she'd finally begun to master smacking the machine without breaking it). She's got this swing in her step, and maybe she dances a little while brushing her, but don't you dare tell another soul.

She’s hype for who knows what, but she's not fighting it. Meeting Zack and Billy before school at the wooden table that they eat lunch at when the weather is nice enough of outside, waiting for Jason and K- oh shit. And that's when Trini isn't exactly excited anymore because she remembers that she has to invite Kim over for dinner this week. She'd argued with herself all night about which of the four would be best for the situation, and while she trusts them all not to judge her, she feels most comfortable with Kimberly. Not to mention she rather her parents think she's dating Kim than for them to hint at anything between her and any of the boys.

The pink ranger looks absolutely perfect walking up to the group, sun shining through her hair, muscles glowing in the natural light, and suddenly Trini is nervous, like she hasn't asked Kim to hang out before. But this time it's different, Kim's never actually been inside her house.

“Hey”, the pink ranger approaches, holding the straps of her backpack and smiling at her friends. Trini is sort of stunned by it all, her pearly whites on display with her bright eyes. Trying to control this whole crush thing is going to be the death of her, no doubt. It was hard enough admitting to herself that she liked her friend in the first place let alone deal with it as a current obstacle.

While Trini is stuck in her trance, Kim makes small talk with the boys, not seeming to notice her elusiveness. The yellow ranger hopes that the taller girl leaves her be, let's her collect her bearings (because looking that perfect isn't fair). And she thinks she's home free when she starts to walk away with Zack to first period Math as the others turn in the other direction, but of course she couldn't be right.

“Trini!”, Kim is calling out from a few feet away, and the girl can't just ignore her so she turns around to find Kim running toward her, launching herself into Trini's arms.   
“You okay?” Kim whispers into her ear mid-embrace.

Why the hell does Kim have to be so observant? “Umhm”, Trini tries to reassure, but Kim's not so convinced. “You sure?”, she's pulling away, now looking into her eyes and Trini may or may not be melting. “Yeah, rough night with my parents but I'm alright now.” Trini manages to get out.

“Okay, I'm here if you need me”, Kim says in this soft, sweet voice, rubbing Trini's arms. God, why does she have to be so understanding, and helpful, and okay, now Trini is actually melting.

\-----  
Before Trini can blink they're at lunch, Kim sitting next to her because god wants her to explode from physical contact, Kim's leg brushing against hers, elbows knocking with every movement. She's starting to feel attacked, like all this pressure is pushing down on her, someone squeezing her heart like it's some funny joke.

She figures now is a good time to ask because they sit too far away from each other in biology, and training later isn't exactly an ideal place. The cafeteria filled with students, oddly enough, gives them some privacy. All the voices blending together into an indistinguishable chatter.

Kim's talking animatedly about something about how her History teacher marking her late for walking in as the bell rang. Trini stopped listening a moment ago, too entranced in the movement of her hands and the gleam in her eyes. And Kim has something in her teeth, but Trini doesn't have the heart to interrupt her rant to tell her. She's listening again, and Kim is finishing her little speech with “he had no right to do such a thing” as if he'd stepped all over Kim’s non-existent perfect record.

Trini’s filling the lull in sound with “Do you wanna come over for dinner one day this week?”, she tries to concede before Kim even has a chance to answer, “my mom wants to meet some of my friends. I totally understand if you don't, we can just hang out somewhere else, or we don't have to hang out at all if you don't want.”

Kim's hand is covering Trini's, settling her mind in an instant, “Don't sweat, of course I want to hang out with you, is Thursday okay?”

Thursday is definitely okay. Anything is okay because Kim said yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 160 kudos! I feel so loved! Let me know how I'm doing in the comments. I kinda feel like I'm dragging it at this point but I'll continue if u guys are gonna keep reading. I'm determined to finish for the people!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner at Trini's part 1

Nothing ever goes Trini's way, never getting to decide what the family eats for dinner, or what dress she gets to wear to church. She doesn't get an easy life and she sure as hell doesn't get the night she expected.

Because of course, Trini should have been less surprised when things didn't go as planned, but who could really blame her for being so naive (she's got other things to worry about, like controlling the gayness oozing from her pores, something even more difficult than controlling her enhanced strength). The plan was that Kim and Trini would walk to the yellow ranger’s humble abode after school, hang out as friends, with little to no suspicion of the evil that is lesbianism from her parents.

But Trini forgets one small detail. Or rather three small details.

Jason, Billy, and Zack decide that Trini's plan is maybe a tad too simple. Kim, nor Trini, perceive the devilish intentions of the boys as they wave goodbye and start their 15 minute walk to the shorter girl’s house.

“I should warn you”, Trini starts the conversation almost forgetting the rest of the sentence, the one she'd practiced in front of the mirror this morning, “about my mom.”

“It's alright, T, you don't have to explain. I know parents can be a little overwhelming, and I know they're not too fond of your sexuality.” Kimberly says, too much eye contact to stop the yellow ranger from crumbling.

And the only that Trini can think is ‘God, why is this girl so perfect? Why did you make me fall in love with her?’

“Thank you”, Trini says instead. In that moment she is cloaked by this feeling of euphoria because even a few steps away from a war zone she knows Kim has her back. She realizes that this genuine friendship could be enough. It's more than she's ever had anyway, and she'll stop at nothing to keep it. Right there she vows to herself that Kim's friendship comes first, romantic feelings take a back seat and never come in between the platonic love they've built for each other.

\----  
Zack and Jason like mayhem. They're teenage boys therefore they like to watch things burn, not in “I hate everyone *evil laugh*” way, but in a “ooo look at the pretty fire” way. Billy, on the other hand, does not. Billy wants his friends to be happy and not burning alive. He makes it a point to memorize all the locations of fire extinguishers in their school.

“I don't think this is a good idea”, Billy is weary.

“You don't have to come with us if it makes you uncomfortable”, Jason is swooping in like a superhero with his words, “we just thought that Trini's mom might wanna meet all of her daughter’s friends”.

And maybe that's not entirely true. Maybe Jason and Zack want to witness the turmoil first hand because everyone thinks Kimberly and Trini are dating and they're pretty sure her parents aren't going to believe anything less. Maybe they want to see flustered Trini and oblivious Kimberly in their natural habitat and maybe they want to be there in case something goes down.

They know. They know. Kim and Trini can protect themselves. They're strong and independent women who don't need no man, but a little extra support couldn't hurt, right?

\----

Walking into the Gomez household isn't exactly picture perfect. Her father greeting Kimberly with a wave, her brothers hugging onto Kimberly's legs, her mom nowhere to be found. Trini expected the opposite, like an overbearing tornado of her mother, bombarding Kim with questions and demanding her to take her shoes off. But, no.

Kim comes up to her room instead.

“Your room is more yellow than I thought it would be”, the pink ranger comments.

“I painted the walls after I patched them up”, Trini says, throwing herself onto her twin bed, inviting Kim with a pat to the surface.

“Wow”, Kim chuckles joining her, “you're like a little handyman.” And Kim is shot into this obscure 5 second day dream about domestic Kim and Trini, the former holding a baby while the latter is fixing the hinges on a door or installing a window twice her size.

Her brief silence is met with a push from Trini and a glaring smirk. “You alive over there?”, she questions. Kim's grabbing her arm and pinning her down without a second thought. “Did you just push me?” The girl on top asks cheekily.

And that's how Trini's mother finds them. Trini pressed into the bed by Kimberly's unrelenting hands, her legs around the smaller girl’s rib cage. Kim's scrambling off when she hears the creak of the door and neither girl is sure if they'd separated soon enough for the older woman not to see. She doesn't question it, just says “Hi, I'm Trini's mom, you must be Kimberly.”

Kimberly is good at reading people, being around cheerleaders, she became an expert at observing actions and intentions. She doesn't want to judge Trini's mom based on their first interaction, but she can tell that her presence makes Trini uncomfortable, that Kimberly being there makes Trini's mom uncomfortable. The woman's forced smile and rapid blinks tell the story better than her seemingly innocent words. Kimberly doesn't exactly feel welcome.

“Pleasure to meet you, mrs. Gomez”, Kim nods, regardless of her reading of her.

Kimberly's kind of expecting her to correct her, like ‘please call me by my first name, no need to be formal’ but the words don't come. Instead the woman stares for a moment, standing in the doorway before she mutters, “dinner will be ready in an hour.” And closes the door behind her. Well, she half closes it, leaving ample room for Jesus to keep an eye on them through the opening.

Trini doesn't want to talk about it which is good because Kimberly isn't sure what she would even say.

\----

An hour passes in the blink of an eye, and Trini and Kim are bounding down the stairs together to see her mother, her two brothers, and no dad.

“Where's papa?” Trini asks casually.

“Golfing with his friends.” Her mother answers, still stirring a pot on the stove. It's nothing new. Papa goes golfing sometimes. It's no big deal, except that Trini's kind of internally freaking out now. Papa is like Mama’s super villain kryptonyte. He's the only one who can stop the rage, and now she's stuck alone with her mother and she's probably going to tear Kimberly to shreds.

“Why don't you two sit down?”, Trini shudders at her mother's voice.

They do, next to each other on one side of the table, with the twins on the other. Her mother places herself at the head after serving everyone food.

No one speaks for a while, casually clawing into their food and Trini is okay with that. Awkward silence is better than getting grilled about their friendship or being asked why Kim was on top of her earlier.

Trini savors the quiet, just forks tapping against plates, drinks being sipped, until “so how did you two become friends?” And Trini feels it, the energy of her mother at least trying not to judge Kimberly, she appreciates that at least.

The two teenagers share a look, “we have bio together, Trini is really smart so I asked her if she could help me study.” Kimberly strikes in, surprisingly convincing. Trini kind of has to hand it to her. She's killed three birds with one stone: explaining how they became friends, gave evidence of Trini not being the delinquent her mother believes her to be, and provides reason for Trini's absences from her home as of late. If only it were true that Kimberly needed help in biology. You know, because maybe they could go on study dates that lead into making out. And Trini really needs to stop thinking about Kim's lips.

Trini nods at her mother, corroborating the other girl’s story, and her mother seems sold. Things seem fine from there, her mom is asking Kimberly questions like “what do you plan to do after high school?” and “do you have any siblings?” And Kimberly is firing certain answers like “I'm not to sure yet, but college is definite in these trying times” and “I wish I had siblings as cool as Trini's”. The yellow ranger ponders for a moment that such a book exists called “How To Win People Over in 3 Easy Steps” and that somehow, the brown girl got her hands on it, because Kimberly seems to be saying everything Trini's mother wants to hear. And Trini's thinking for a second that maybe this whole thing won't be so bad until…

“So Kimberly”, she pauses, “Are you gay too?”

“Mom”, Trini chastises, glaring at her like ‘why the hell would you ask that?’ Getting quite defensive the older woman mends with a quick “What? It's just a question.”

“No, actually”, Kim's saying in an instant. And it's not really a lie because she's bi, not gay. But like gay is kind of an umbrella term, like queer, and bi could go under there. But Trini's not sure if her mother’s heart could take the full explanation of bisexuality in one sitting. A curse as if to say 'no, I'm not a lesbian, but I could still ruin your life by dating your daughter’.

A second of awkward silence follows, forks no longer moving, eye contact nonexistent, before, “then, do you have a boyfriend?” Trini's never felt so embarrassed and she isn't even the target. “No, mrs. Gomez, I just got out of a weird relationship a few months ago. I'm just waiting for the right person.”

And Trini might have a habit of reading into everything Kimberly says, and this time is no different. She picks up on three distinct things: 1. The still healing wound of Ty that her mother hit with the question, 2. How she still remains polite and seemingly alright, 3. She says person, not guy; what a subtle bisexual goddess. The yellow ranger is thinking the worst is over but if we're going based on everything so far, Trini usually isn't right about that. Of course there's more.

“Well maybe while you're looking for yourself you could help find Trini a nice boy too.” And that's it Trini's dead.

No one has an answer, Trini's too caught off guard to fight back, Kim's not about to hook Trini's mom in the face, and her brothers remain quiet as ever. It's just when Trini starts to think that they're forever stuck in this weird limbo of silence that the doorbell rings.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so ik this is kind of mean because cliffhanger. But imma try to update soon to make up for it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit goes down

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Billy ponders wringing his hands together, as they walk up the driveway to Trini's front door. Jason creates eye contact making sure Billy can see his hands, has ample time to pull away if he doesn't want to be touched. Billy doesn't recoil when the red ranger sticks a hand between his, separating his hands and stopping the anxious ministrations. “It's not too late to turn back Billy, I'll take you home if you want.”

With a deep breath and the reassuring glares from his friends, Billy decides that everything will be okay and nods his approval prompting Zack to ring the doorbell.

A minute passes and no one answers. The boys silently wonder if they have the right house, but the idea goes unquestioned when the door slides open an inch and Trini slides out from the small space, closing the door behind her.

“What are you guys doing here?” Trini says frantic yet defeated.

“We wanted to make sure you and Kim were okay.” Jason says. “And by the looks of it, you aren't.” Zack continues, evoked by the yellow rangers apparent nerves.

“My mom just asked Kim if she can help find me a boyfriend, so yeah, it's not going too great.” Trini grumbles thrusting her hair away from her face. “It's alright, we love you for you, Tri”, Billy speaks softly, pulling the small girl into a firm hug.

When they separate Trini is more calm but still flustered, “I appreciate you all coming by, but you have to leave before my mom sees you, she might try to marry me off to the nearest functioning human with a penis.” She half jokes and Zack is fooling around saying “You don't know what's in my pants.” Loud enough for the neighbors to probably hear.

They're laughing until the door behind Trini is opening and her mother is walking out from it. She's giving her a perplexed look like “Trini talking to boys, I knew she wasn't a lesbian” and all four of them are practically face palming at their ability to recognize all that from one facial expression. She wishes they left when they still had the chance but it's too late to turn back now.

“Mom, these are my friends, Jason, Billy, and Zack, they stopped by to say ‘hello’ but they were just about to head home”, she tries.

“Nonsense”, her mother responds, “come on in boys, we were just finishing up with dinner.” It's borderline insane the difference between her mother with the boys, and her mother with Kimberly. Around the pink ranger, one could feel the icicles emitting from the older woman's heart, before being fired like projectiles at her head, but even for just a moment spent with blue, black, and red, one could read her genuine smile, her joy. Trini doesn't exactly appreciate the stark difference in the way her mother treats her guy friends from her girl friends. The girl mulls over how much worse this could possibly get as she regrettably follows the boys and her mom into the house.

Her mother leads the three boys into the living room, while ordering her two sons to clean the dishes. Asking the boys to sit and taking a seat herself, she seems to forget about Kim's existence in the other room, more interested in Trini's male friends.

Trini steers herself into the kitchen hoping to get Kim to go into the living room. “Hey, the boys are here, you wanna go in the living room with them, please.” Trini finds her scrubbing plates, even though her mother had requested for her brothers to clean the table. “I'm not done cleaning.” Kim conjures as an excuse.

Trini removes Kim's hands from the dish and take over the sink. “My mom’s going to kill you for even trying to clean, go in there.”

“No”, Kim utters, too spent to come up with another excuse.

“What if I come with you?” Trini asks, turning from the sink and looking the other girl in the eye. “Okay”, Kim softens, taking Trini's still wet hand and leading her to the other room, only letting go when in the view of her mother.

So Trini kind of forgets that her living room seats 5, because that's all they've ever needed, mother, father, and three children equals 5. Two love seats and an armchair. All seats currently taken except the armchair. Jason and Billy sharing one piece of furniture, and Zack and her mother sharing the other.

And that's how Kim ends up in the arm chair. And Trini ends of sitting on her lap, urged by unwarranted arms circling around her waist and pulling her backward. Her mother is just getting over laughing at one of Billy’s cute jokes, when she notices the two girls and immediately tenses. “How do you all know each other?” She suddenly questions, rigid and fake.

“Were the power rangers.” Zack deadpans. They're laughing awkwardly diffusing the situation and Jason is elbowing him from the other couch like ‘bro wtf?!?’. But Zack is just smiling.

“We met in detention.” Billy pipes up going for what seems most true, without going for a direct hit like Zack had.

“Oh, I see”, she responds like she's changed her mind about these delinquent children. “So you're all... _special_.”

“Indeed, ms. Gomez”, Billy continues, not reading the bite behind her words, “I believe that each of us is an exceptional person, who will achieve great things.”

And Trini would hug Billy right now, but she's kind of stuck. Kim's grasp is stiff and her arms and body pressed against her is so warm, and it's kind of hard to concentrate on anything other than Kim's heart beat and her own breathing.

That is until her mother decides her interrogation from earlier needs to make a reappearance. “So which one of you is interested in my daughter?” She asks, Trini almost forgot how blunt she could be. The other four rangers sit there confused as ever.

“What?”, Jason blurts unable to control himself, “I mean we're all just friends ma'am, even if any of us liked Trini like that, I don't think the three of us are exactly her type”.

“That's ludicrous. You boys are so handsome.” Trini is digging her fingernails into Kimberly's oh so innocent arm, Kim hurt more by the emotional pain Trini must be feeling than the physical damage of nails in her skin. Billy's looking around like he can't make eye contact. Jason just looks sad and Zack’s had enough.

“But Trini isn't attracted to men.” The black ranger joins in, cutting right to the chase.

“Okay, but she'll need someone when she grows out of this phase, and maybe you three should keep your options open is all I'm saying.” Her mom seems to have a comeback for everything, not ones that particularly make sense, but comebacks nonetheless.

“Look, Ms. Gomez”, Kim starts, with this edge to her voice of ‘don't fuck with me’, “this isn't some phase, it's how your daughter feels, can't you at least try to accept that instead of forcing your heteronormativity down her throat 24/7. It's no wonder she never wants to be in this house.” Kim's voice is loud at this point, like she's never been more certain of anything she's ever said. And it's silent again, everyone looking downward until her mother whispers angrily “I think it's time for all of you too leave”.

They do. The three boys get up and walk out the door without a word to their friend's mother. No “thanks for having us” or “see you soon”. Just a small “bye Trini” from Billy. Trini gets off of Kim and walks her outside, seeing that the boys have already begun walking down the street. Kim embraces her in this all encompassing way, a crashing wave of love and reassurance and everything Trini has ever needed. It's beyond fulfilling until Trini's mother is coughing behind them, prompting their separation.

Trini's face is pale and tear stained and Kim wants to kiss her right now. But she can't, not with her mother standing right there, not when she doesn't even know how she feels, not when Trini is hurting like this. Instead she brushes a few tears away and turns to leave.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excuses: i had two ap exams this week but they're over now (hallelujah it's raining women) so I should be updating sooner rather than later (if I get my head out of my ass and stop procrastinating)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim doesn't want to leave just yet

Kim's barely off the porch when she hears it. A thundering roar of outburst stopping her in her tracks. The words are in Spanish and the pink ranger can't exactly decipher any sense from it. She'd taken 3 years of Spanish class, but something is so different about memorizing phrases for tests, and having it ingrained into your brain, spewing word after word without thought in romantic succession. Even loud and threatening, Kim can't help but take note that anger in Spanish sounds more beautiful than in English. The indistinguishable sounds still allow Kim some conclusions. For example, Trini's mother is not happy.

The pink ranger kind of expects the yellow ranger to yell back, because it's all she's ever seen her do. Stand up for herself. But that's with Zack's insensitive jokes, or the bullies at school. Kim is used to Trini the unbreakable pit bull, not Trini the wounded chihuahua. Her mother is different.

Instead of a screaming match of intense words that morph into knives, Trini's mother lays out her rant, fueled by anger, laced with fear, laced with heartbreak. Because she loves her daughter, she just can't see _that_ , not when she's imagined Trini walking down the aisle to a husband, Trini holding a small child close. Not when the world is so cruel to people like _that_. It's hard to show these vulnerabilities when Trini makes her feel like she's crazy. So she covers it up with a ridiculous pressure on her daughter to be straight.

Trini doesn't answer, and if she does it's too quiet for Kim to hear, locked in her spot on the porch since the volume change had begun. Kim doesn't know what to think, what to do. Trini's probably been in situations like this before but Kim's never been here for it, and the girl doesn't know if Trini likes to be left alone in times like this.

She ponders scaling the side of Trini's house and climbing into her window, to at least keep her company for the night. Making her way to the side of the house she decides which one is most likely Trini's. It's when she first grips the rough brick that she recalls how thrown Trini was from Rita breaking and entering, the random bouts of tears, the nightmares she'd report back to the team. And she realizes that maybe jumping through the window without warning could rattle Trini more than she already is, and perhaps checking in with a text message first is a better idea.

Kim <3: u okay?

The message is marked as read in an instant as if Trini was waiting, staring at the thread before the other girl had even begun typing.

Trini's caught in between playing the night's events off as nothing important and letting everything out. She's still not exactly accustomed to people actually caring about her and she's not sure if saying that she isn't okay is too attention seeking. She wonders if Kim just wants her to say “yes” regardless of the truth, just to clear her own conscience.

Although read in a fraction of a second, her response takes time, and Kim is waiting for the three dots to pop up for more than a minute before she eventually gets the message a moment later.

T : No

And that's all the pink ranger needs.

Kim <3: can I come in? Through ur window?

This answer comes a bit quicker.

T: Yeah

The single word makes her sigh a breath of relief, that Trini isn't trying to face this alone, that she trusts her enough to let her in.

Kim's grabbing onto the red of the brick and clinging to it with all her might as she brings herself up on the side of the house, eventually pulling herself into the yellow walled room with a final burst of energy. She looks to her hands, to see the scratches made in the brown space of her palms from the unforgiving punishment of stone digging into her. She watches as the breaks in skin and indents of pressure fade away almost as quickly as they came.

Trini breaks her from her palm filled haze with a half hearted joke about how Kim was her prince saving her from the high tower she was locked in. Kim doesn't laugh, sees the insecurity behind it. She only wishes she could be anything close to Trini's savior.

She decides against remaining stationary in the corner by the window, approaching the other girl on her bed cautiously. It's as if the room is filled with movement sensitive lasers and Kim has to maneuver through it to get to the treasure, she's afraid any motion will spark a shift, provoke Trini bursting, pushing her away.

“I don't bite.” Trini assures when she notices Kim's unnecessary elusiveness. And it almost seems as if Trini needs to comfort Kim and not the other way around.

Kim takes it upon herself to fill the open space on Trini's bed next to her. The smaller girl on her back, placed in a trance of the ceiling fan spinning above them, her hands lazily splayed on her stomach. Kim takes note of the introspective pout steady on her face as she stares at her, laying on her side with her head cradled in one hand, giving herself an optimal view of her friend.

“Do you think she'll ever come around?” Kim asks after a moment of silence. She doesn't mean to startle Trini but she can't think of anything else, caught between beating around the bush or hitting it head on.

“I don't know.” Trini answers honestly because she's too spent to think about Kim judging her. Sighing and turning toward her, she elaborates. “I could see her forgetting my existence after my 18th birthday and never speaking again to her fuck up of a child, but I could also see her at least giving up on fighting with it, if she saw me happy with a girl, ya know?”

She does, she understands how trivial this all seems, how complex it actually is. She knows just how incredibly difficult it feels to even contemplate telling her parents that she's bi, let alone dealing with the consequences. Because this hidden facet of herself could change everything, makes her paranoid. She thinks that her parents love her regardless, but her religion, her culture allows for the condemnation of such things. She just...gets it.

She nods her understanding. “Well nothing is permanent, T. You'll be out of this house one day, you'll be allowed to be yourself.”

Trini looks down playing with her fingers, hoping Kim doesn't read the insecurity behind her brown eyes. “What?” Kim asks, seeing her change right away.

“I know I don't want this to ever change. The rangers. Me and you. Our friendship. Actually having people I can count on.” Trini's ranting, because despite her family life, she has things that make her happy. Kim appreciates the lack of walls left around Trini as she explains herself. New territory prompts hesitation, because Trini's never been this vulnerable in front of her. The last thing she wants is for her to regret being so open.

“Well I really appreciate you, too. I just thought my life was over after what I did to Amanda, thought I didn't deserve friends, to be happy.” Kim's still locking eyes with Trini and there's this weirdly settled feeling to it all.

“Of course you deserve happiness, Kim.” Trini is holding her hand now, “you made a mistake. You've learned from it, that's all that matters”.

And Kim smiles this smile that makes Trini question everything, because it's soft and genuine as if the pink ranger has never been more content than in Trini's bed holding her hand. She's trying not to get her hopes up about Kim having anything more than platonic feelings for her, but that only seems to become more difficult as time goes on, as they get to know each other better. “Don't ever leave me, okay?” Kim is saying, pushing a stray hair behind Trini's ear. “Didn't plan on it”, Trini responds turning over and tucking her head underneath the taller girl’s chin, wrapping her arms around her like she holding on for dear life. Kim scolds herself for her lack of hesitation in reciprocating the embrace. The pressure of skin to skin more than welcome, to the point that Trini's cold toes don't bother her as they tickle her calves. It's more contact than they've ever had before, but it not scary. It's more fulfilling than anything. A relieving sigh.

“Your heart is beating really fast.” Trini whispers into her chest, a few breaths away from sleep.

“You're annoying.” Kim responds, because what else can she say ‘you make me nervous.’ ‘I really want to kiss you right now.’ Yeah, I don't think so.

“You love me and you know it.” Are Trini's last words before she's out cold, easily calmed by the soft strokes of Kim's hand on her back.

Kim's left awake for awhile, but she doesn't mind. It gives her time to contemplate exactly what this is. The sparks every time they're skin connects, the ever present butterflies, the consistent smiles. She likes Trini she knows that. She just wonders everyday if acting on it is worth ruining a friendship. She knows that it's not.

Regardless, she savors the present, breathes in the scent that is undeniable Trini, memorized the feel of her body against her own. 

They fall asleep like that, tangled in each other. Safety among the chaos.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo I wrote this while I should've been taking notes for drivers ed buttt I think God can forgive me because fanfiction is always more important. Anyway things are heating up, I'll try not to keep dragging out this first kiss cuz it's already been 7 chapters but I'm also evil and maybe I wanna make you wait....


	8. Chapter 8

Kimberly has never woken up to another girl in her arms, but that doesn't make the feeling unwelcome. She wakes in a position similar to the one she'd fallen asleep in. Trini's head tucked into her neck, the smaller girl's arms lying haphazardly on the mattress, her arms wrapped around her, keeping them pressed together. Trini's hair in a tangled mess, still manages to look angelic. There's this serene tranquility to matching heartbeats, matching breaths.

Trini's still asleep, the curve of her eyelashes, the smooth of her skin, mesmerizing. Strangely, Kim feels okay being trapped with no escape under the confines of Trini's body. Small spaces scare her and no escape plans scare her more, but this is okay. And maybe she's not exactly stuck because she could lift Trini off of her in an instant, but who would have the evil in them to destroy such a delicate scene.

She removes one hand from the other girl's back and places it behind her head, stroking the long curls there, not sure if she's comforting the sleeping girl or herself. She can feel the shift in Trini's breathing pattern before she even moves, but she still can't prepare herself for the intensity of those brown eyes meeting hers.

“Hey”, is all the smaller girl says, in this shrunken yet content voice, as if she too is afraid to break whatever calm they currently have.

They lay there for all of two minutes until Trini realizes the position they're in, how close their mouths are, before Trini is pushing herself up and off of the other girl, hoping she doesn't look like she's running away.

“Geez, did I burn you, T?” And the moment of content is gone, replaced by one that's slightly awkward, but entirely lighthearted. Trini doesn't want to say how insanely afraid she is of being close to Kim in any context that could seem more than platonic. And cuddling like that, was more than platonic. She needed an out, but she can't say that. Instead she answers a question that Kim did not answer.

“I got drool on your shirt”, she points at the pool of moisture by Kim's collarbone, “Sorry”

“It's okay” Kim reassures, “it's just a shirt. I care about you more than this shirt anyway” she pauses after her short babble, she laughs at her own awkwardness “I mean I'm glad you're okay. After yesterday.” She clarifies finally.

Trini's smiling at her like someone taped her face like that permanently until Kim's taking it off. Her shirt. Her pink drool stained shirt. Coming off.

It's hard for Trini to compute the image she's taking in. Kim in a bra. Yellow actually. And it's beyond anything Trini can describe. Just acres of smooth brown skin, riddled with goosebumps and no blemishes. A scar on her shoulder, that Trini stares at for too long, trying to keep her eyes away from other things newly exposed.

Trini's uncomfortable. Kim can see that. “Sorry, I didn't mean to make it weird, I was just changing.”

And Trini's saying “it's okay”, but turning the other way, facing out the window Kim had climbed through the night before. “You can borrow a shirt from my closet”, she mumbles only just coherent enough, still pretending to be busy looking at the trees and squirrels outside.

After a second or two and the sound of rustling through clothes, Kim's whispering “you can turn around now” and Trini does.

She expects Kim in one of her shirts. It's what she told her to do. It's what she asked for. What she doesn't expect is that particular shirt, or the proximity of it all.

Kim's clad in a long white button down, open in front. Only a step away from the other girl. “This okay?” Kim questions in a small rasp, when she notices the scanning glazed eyes of the shorter girl. And Trini isn't exactly sure if she's talking about her choice of shirt, or her closeness to her.

Trini can't be asked to do more than nod, and gulp. Loudly.

“I wouldn't expect you to ever wear something like this.” Kim says, lifting the sides of the shirt, feeling the material between her fingers, not bothering to even entertain the idea of buttoning it up.

“I uh got it online with my mom's credit card, it was after I started refusing to wear dresses, and before my mother gave up on forcing me to go to church..”, Trini's not sure why she's explaining this, or why Kim is still walking toward her. What she does understand is the familiar sweat on her palms, the jolt in her heart, the tingle in her stomach.

“It's cute.” Kim whispers, and Trini's not sure if she's referring to the shirt or something else. Because her full attention is on Trini now. Millimeters away.

A million thoughts shoot through the shorter girl's brain in the few seconds they're standing there. And she can't articulate any of them. Not her fear, her excitement, her confusion. So instead she's expertly maneuvering out of the contained space Kim created around her and moving toward her phone left on the night stand.

“Do you wanna listen to some music?” Trini's asking in a rush.

“Sure”, Kim is saying like they weren't just so close.

“Ed Sheeran?”, Trini asks half heartedly because she knows the answer is yes.

One of Trini's fondest parts of their friendship is the way that Kim opens her eyes to new perspectives and ideas. Like yeah, Trini was perfectly content listening to the intense notes of Patrick Stump’s voice and the exhilarating screams of Pete Wentz, but without Kim she sure as hell wouldn't be listening to Ed Sheeran.

To be honest, she didn't really like it at first, but there was just something so calming and relatable about his slow songs, made you want to serenade the love of your life to no end. And something about the upbeat jams that made your heart soar. She appreciated the change in pace sometimes, she would never tell Kim how much she actually liked her taste in music though.

So they're laying on Trini's bed, both facing the ceiling, listening to the soft melodies of Supermarket Flowers and just taking it all in. Enjoying each other's company with no conversation, Kim occasionally singing the words lightly, Trini humming along every once in awhile. Deep in thought, there isn't room for conversation. But it's comfortable. No thoughts of worry. Just a stillness of a constant in acoustic guitar and Trini next to Kim. It's one more thing that Trini doesn't want to ruin with a stupid kiss.

“We should get to school”, Kim breaks the silence, “first period starts in 30 minutes.”

\----

Having first period math with Zack is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because his antics wake her up. A curse because she hates math, and she doesn't exactly want to be woken up. She's reserved today and he notices it right away as he takes a seat next to her in the back.

“You okay, T?” He interrogates lightly, breaking her out of her trance, her eyes trained on a random space in front of her.

“I think Kimberly tried to kiss me.” She says casually, not moving out of her blanked out state.

“Wait. What?”

“Kim tried to kiss me. I think.”

“And you didn’t try back?” He's getting kind of frustrated now. Why is Trini being so calm? Why didn't she just kiss her back? Why is he ruining his life?

“No. I chickened out.” She looking down now like she's disappointed in herself. But Zack isn't the scolding type, doesn't like to see crazy girl upset.

“Why'd you chicken out?” He tries in a way that encompasses both his care and his confusion.

“I don't know. I guess I'm just of everything changing.”

“Well it wouldn't be so bad if it was a good change, right? Like you dating Kim?” He's worried that the yellow ranger has already dug herself this hole. That she's thought about this enough to make herself believe that Kim isn't interested. Zack knows different.

“But what if she's just looking to hook up or play with my feelings? What if we fight and one of us gets hurt? What if we break up the power rangers?” BINGO.

“Well first of all”, Zack starts off, gesturing with his hands, “none of that's ever happen. Secondly, Kim cares about you way too much to use you for her personal gain. And thirdly, you can't just think about everyone else. You have to consider your happiness too. And you sure would be happy with Kim. Nothing is going to happen to the rangers because you two are perfect for each other.”

Trini smiles and almost thanks him for his speech but she wouldn't be Trini and he wouldn't be Zack if she passed up an opportunity to make a snarky comment.   
“You know, for someone that rarely comes to school, you're actually pretty smart.”

Zack just chuckles at her. “You're ridiculous.”

\----

The day drags on forever for several reasons. One being that Trini is half asleep most of the day, another is that she can't stop thinking about Kim, and her face, and her lips, and her favorite song, and the way her eyes twinkle when you talk about kitties.

Lunch comes soon enough. Thank god. Kim's sitting across from her today, saving her from the pain of physical contact, but installing the very real new problem of having to process the masterpiece that is Kimberly Hart’s face.

Biology is literal torture. Forty five minutes feels like 6 hrs when you spend the entirety of it contemplating the turmoil you could cause by kissing your best friend.

And Trini hates that. That they're friends. Because it makes it 10 times harder to get over the girl. She probably wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for the rangers. Fucking Rita and her evil need to destroy the world. Geez cut the poor gay some slack.

The cheaply disguised glances Kim takes back to her every few minutes don't help either. Two brown irises make contact with two others for only an instant before Kim retracts her gaze as if she been busted each time.

The bell rings and Trini tries to escape the crowded room before a very persuasive pink ranger can corner her and request her first born. But of course, Jeff who sits in front of her, blocks the aisle between the desks for an unbearable minute after the bell rings. And Kim's walking up to her.

Trini's not exactly avoiding her. She knows she'll probably get her routine goodnight text tonight and she didn't plan on ignoring it, but she's not sure she could handle hanging around Kim right now without the boys.

“Hey, did you wanna come over and listen to paramore’s new album tonight?” Kim is asking because the world is against Trini. And Trini would make up some excuse like “sorry, gotta watch the twins” or “mom wants me home today”, but Kim is inviting Trini over to listen to her favorite band. A band Trini introduced her to, and now she wants to experience the new songs together as well.

“Sounds like a plan.” Trini smirks and shrugs.

\----

When they get outside they meet Zack, Jason, and Billy by the flagpole out front. Walking home as a group always makes opportune times to joke around. It's mostly light hearted banter, and the occasional reminder from Billy to lay off the curse words. Kim’s laughing, almost tripping over, one second, and almost crying the next. The joy she feels with her friends serves as another reminder of what she might be giving up if she pursues Trini. Her emotions got the best of her that morning. Going in for a kiss wasn't only stupid, but it was careless and selfish. And she's trying not to be that person anymore.

When they get to a point of turning separate ways with the boys, Billy is wondering if she's okay. She reassures him that she is, squeezing his hand lightly, but he can't help but be a little bit sceptical. Pulling Trini in for a hug, Jason whispers in her ear “Make sure she's okay.” And Trini doesn't have to nod to answer him.

The walk to Kim's, just the two of them, is kind of awkward. The first time they've been awkward with each for at least a few months. Trini's watching her patiently, like she's ready to keep Kim stable if they come passed any bumps along the way, and Kim's just saying “I'm fine, I swear” in different degrees of convincing nature.

\----

Hayley William’s is really important to Trini. Paramore’s music was there when no one else was. The hard beats and strong words have her the freedom to let out her anger and feel her sadness all at once. It's the first band she thought to share with Kim when they started becoming friends. The pink ranger was a little weary of the genre in general, the harsh vibration of it, the screams of emotion, but now she was the one instigating a listening hang out with Trini.

Kim's bedroom is a little bigger than Trini's, more space, a full sized bed as opposed to a twin. Gives them ample room to lie next to each other without touching. They've made it through the first few songs without a word, just taking in each bassline, drum progression, the lyrics, Hayley's all encompassing voice.

They're facing each other on their sides. Trini's hands tucked underneath her own head. Kim's rested on her abdomen. ‘Fake Happy’ leans into its second verse as Kim pens her mouth. “What's your biggest fear?”

The question takes her by surprise. She's not really sure. She's afraid of a lot of a lot of things, most of which she'd never admit. But she never really sits around quantifying each level of fear she has for each. Not when real life can sometimes feel like her worst nightmares have already come true.

“I'm not sure.” Trini offers after a moment. Kim can see the genuine thought behind her eyes. “Are you afraid of me?” Kim tries again, tweaking her question just a little.

This answer doesn't take as long. “Yeah. You're too strong and smart and pretty for anyone's good.”

The song is over by then. A lull in conversation as the silence between songs takes over the room. And now ‘26’ is playing and Trini is searching Kim's eyes for something she so desperately wishes she knew existed.

Soft guitar plucking soon accompanied by a sure voice. And the words are reminding them to “hold onto hope”. And Trini is tired of worrying. “Are you afraid of me?” Trini returns the question.

But Kimberly is answering a different question. “I'm afraid of the way you make me feel.”

Trini's done with inhibitions. Kim sees the clarity in her eyes as if the puzzle pieces had always been in place but they'd only now just clicked together to show the picture.

The lyrics of a warning whisper filling the room as Kim puts her hand on Trini's cheek and moves closer. A warning to what comes next.

Lips come together in a surging warmth as the lyrics sneak into their ears.  
“ _They say that dreaming is free. I wouldn't care what it cost me.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It happened they kissed. I still wanna write a few more chapters, many 1 or 2 for closure reasons, also cuz I don't want it to end....


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter

The lyrics of a warning whisper fill the room as Kim puts her hand on Trini's cheek and moves closer. A warning to what comes next.

Lips come together in a surging warmth as the lyrics sneak into their ears.  
“They say that dreaming is free. I wouldn't care what it cost me.”

Kim serves as an anchor, keeping Trini steady as she's not sure what to do with her hands until they settle onto the taller girl’s waist. A complex swirl of lips on lips and a static whisper of hidden intimacy.

The kiss is short but it gets the point across. Kim likes Trini. Trini likes Kim back. And it's all too much suddenly, Trini pulling away sharply.

“Sorry, you okay?” Kim’s trying to backtrack because maybe Trini isn't okay with this, maybe she should just go now.

Trini's got this face like “woah, it's not you, you can't go after you kissed me, NEVER LEAVE ME”, but she can't exactly say that, when she's still tongue tied from the feeling of Kim's lips on hers, the smell of her so close, the tingle of her fingers on her skin. Instead she's catching her breath and squeezing Kim's hand like there's no tomorrow. A pleading look.

Kim stays, her hand trapped in Trini's. The pulse jolting from their joined hands is both startling and grounding. A reason not to let go.

Kim kisses her again, if not for the sake of it, than to wipe the worries lines from her face. A soft parting of lips, subtle pressure, enough to feel whole. Trini’s hands grasping at the hem of the other girl's shirt, Kim's holding her face with as much care as she could conjure. A new portal opens between meeting lips, a seal of safety that stops any danger from permeating the haven.

Trini pulls away and tucks her head into Kim's neck in a fluid motion, her arms wrapping behind the pink ranger’s neck, legs wrapping around her waist. Kimberly doesn't try to run away this time. She can feel the shattering breaths on her neck, Trini's fingers in her hair, it's too much to give up. How could she walk away when she'd just broken down the last of Trini's walls.

“You okay?” Kim asks after a period of silence, hoping maybe Trini would be able to use her words now. Pulling her head away from Kim's chest and reclaiming eye contact, she surges forward planting a quick kiss onto Kim's unsuspecting lips, before her mouth transforms into a dreamy grin. “Yeah”, she answers, looking supremely content with herself.

Kim's feeling cocky now, like she might as well get this in while she's got Trini vulnerable. “So, now that I know you're on board with the idea of kissing me, do you think you might wanna kiss me exclusively?” She puts out, enough hope in her voice to fill an ocean.

Trini scoffs at her attempt to beat around the bush. “Are you asking me if I want to be your girlfriend?”  
“Maybe I am.”

“I'll have to think about it.” Trini whispers, leaning in for another peck. “I usually don't date girls who are friends with Zack Taylor”.

\------

The next day they have detention, and Trini's not sure what to expect because they didn't exactly discuss telling the boys. Regardless, she doesn't realize that they're blowing their own cover by Kim holding her hand, the way they look at each other just a little deeper, kissing Kim's cheek. She sees the understanding in their eyes, no one has to say anything. She reads it in the way Jason looks at them like a proud father, Billy claps enthusiastically, and Zack pulls her into a celebratory noogy.

Both are unsure what to do with such tremendous emotions, because the thought that being with the other would somehow ruin everything they've already built had vanished. The understanding that dating didn't suddenly make everything fall apart. In fact, it surges a unity that had been missing, like the final puzzle piece.

When she takes her seat in detention, there are 4 notes being thrown her way within seconds of each other. She catches them sporadically almost missing the last. The first is from Billy, she recognizes his sharp handwriting and the blue ink. ‘You and Kimberly look really pretty when you smile like that -B’. She's tentatively writing ‘thx Billy. This is why you're my favorite” before she folds it back up and sends it flying towards the blue ranger.

The next note is from Zack. ‘OM G YOU GUYS ARE TOGETHER WTF Y DIDNT U TELL ME?’  
‘Cuz ur annoying’ she scribbles.  
Jason's is a little more sensitive ‘I'm so happy you guys are happy :)’ ‘me 2 :)’ she writes quickly before throwing to red and black at the same time.

Kim's note is the last and she's smiling before she even sees the words written on the ripped out piece of loose leaf. ‘Hey GIRLFRIEND. Y are we here when we could be making out and listening to paramore?’  
‘Cuz GIRLFRIEND I'd like to graduate hs if that's ok with you, but SAME’

As she throws the note back to Kim, Billy’s is already on its way back. ‘Are you sure Kim isn't your favorite?’

\----  
Everything is kind of the same, but simultaneously different somehow. Like Kim's still staring at Trini in biology, but instead of looking away when she gets caught, she keeps looking, Trini's just looking right back. And Trini still kicks Zack's butt in training, but instead of just laughing, Kim's kissing her congratulations. And they mediate together on the top of the mountain, and take dips in the lake (that usually results in wet handsy kissing). Kim still sneaks into her window at night, but the full body cuddling takes a moment to get used to. When they ride in the back of Jason’s pickup truck, Kim pulls Trini into her lap. And when Billy wants to hang out with one of them, he knows the other is coming too.

It's not exactly perfect. Because Trini’s mom isn't happy about the late night ‘study sessions’ or the way Trini always closes her bedroom door behind her every night. But her father is trying, he texts her one morning that he loves her, that he'll be proud as long as she stays true to herself, and if he finds Kim cuddled up to his daughter on a Sunday morning, he doesn't say anything. Kim's parents let Trini stay over on nights when her mother gets to be too much. They trust Kimberly. They love Trini.

Alpha isn't too good at reading human interaction being an android and all, and Kim and Trini don't make a habit of being flamboyant about their relationship during training, but even he picks up on the change. He's saying only to Trini and Kim when they arrive in the ship “what happened?! Did you see any putties?! My readings on your pulses have been through the roof!”

Neither girl knows how to break it to him, but Zack's voice breaks the silence eventually. “Trini got her girl. That's what happened.”

And Alpha seems to ponder it for a second, before “oh, that's wonderful. If I could I'd be doing that human thing...oh, yes, smiling. I would be smiling.”

Trini finds it almost funny, that Alpha could understand and her mother couldn't.

The kids at school come after Trini at first. They blame Kim's sexuality on her, like she swooped in while the pink ranger was vulnerable and converted her to lesbianism. “She's bisexual” she always reminds them, before standing up for herself.

This goes on for a week or two, kids laughing as they held hands, notes of outrage slipped into lockers, Trini getting pushed, Kim doing her best to chase the bully down the crowded hall, until Billy punches a kid in the nose after spitting the word “dykes” in their direction. When the boy hits the floor, Zack performs Billy’s signature clap, saving his bruised knuckles from the pain. No one comes near them after that.

And while the outside world catches up with them, the best moments are the ones small and secretive. Just them. Kim watching Trini sleep, make her breakfast. Pushing hair from each other's faces. The way Trini holds on so tightly in her sleep. Kim's laugh. Trini's smile. It's forgetting to do their homework because they're too busy being in love.

It's this untouched knowledge that you _couldn't possibly know_ unless you were Kim and Trini, swirling in a bucket of responsibility for angel grove, only broken up by the other. Because in front of each other, they weren't just power rangers or stupid teenagers, Kim wasn't an ex-cheerleader who back stabbed her best friend, and Trini didn't have family issues, they could just be. For even just a moment without the ramifications of context.

Kim could be _Kim_.  
Trini could be _Trini_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally over. :(  
> Sorry I took so long with this chapter. I honestly don't have an excuse other than "okay they're together now, what am I supposed to do???"  
> Thank you for reading and commenting and leaving kudos, all of it means the world to me. Keep an eye out for new fics to come.

**Author's Note:**

> leave a comment pls. Let me know if I should continue because i have ideas but I probably wont write more without your validation.
> 
> Find me on tumblr for questions or if you want to gush about power rangers: eyesfadefromgreentogray
> 
> Find me on ig for some sub par art work: rjbower17


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